$35,000 a year to provide homeowners with funds to host neighbourhood parties through something called the “Love Your Neighbourhood” initiative. A now-shuttered program for $170,000 in loans to provide homeowners with loans to install heat pumps. Thousands of dollars spent by civic officials to provide participants with food vouchers as part of the “Food for Feedback” event at Central Park. If you don’t live in Burlington, no problem, all are welcome at the Food For Feedback event. Another $21,000 to send civic officials to Japan, more to Appledoorn Holland, as part of a mundialization initiative.
Are these core expenses? Are these vital services that are intrinsic to the safe management and operation of municipal government? Probably not. Why then do city officials spend money on services that aren’t directly related to the effective management of a local government?
A Little Context
The City of Burlington’s 2025 operating budget is $471.1 million. If you ask officials in the Finance Department, or the mayor, they’ll probably tell you that getting rid of programs like Love Your Neighbourhood is a drop in the bucket when it comes to reducing the annual budget. In truth, they may be right.
In Ontario, the duties of municipal governments are outlined in the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25. This piece of provincial legislation outlines the powers, responsibilities, and governance structures of municipalities in Ontario. It gives municipalities broad authority to govern in areas such as local infrastructure, public services, and bylaws. In theory, it contains provisions relating to transparency, financial administration, and accountability.
The Ontario Municipal Act is a very complex and detailed piece of legislation. It contains over 450 Sections.[i] Section 11 discusses the overall mandate of municipal governments and contains this broad statement:
11 (1) A lower-tier municipality and an upper-tier municipality may provide any service or thing that the municipality considers necessary or desirable for the public, subject to the rules set out in subsection (4). 2006, c. 32, Sched. A, s. 8
Section 11 (2) lists a number of examples of what are considered “necessary or desirable”. Some of these measures include governance, taxation, business licensing, health and safety, financial management, etc. Not surprisingly, things like Love Your Neighbourhood, Food for Feedback, and mundialization programs are not listed. A hidden and additional cost is the time spent by full-time city employees running the programs.
Essential vs. Fluff
The efficient operation of a municipal government, which includes the wise and prudent management of funds, is a reasonable expectation of citizens. The legal requirement for what to provide is outlined in the Ontario Municipal Act. That said, why do public officials spend money on things that aren’t necessary or essential?
I would submit that there are several reasons behind this. First, programs like Love Your Neighbourhood are what pundits often call “Feel Good” initiatives. They are intended to create visibility and awareness of the important role which municipal government plays in the lives of residents. These programs are positive, upbeat and celebratory in nature.
Second, they provide great photo opportunities for municipal politicians. Politicians look for ways to augment their visibility and profile between elections. Being seen at community events like art fairs, store openings, etc., provides a connection with citizens. It is intended to convey the impression of action and awareness. It’s also a lot more fun than hosting an Open House and listening to citizens complain about crime, flooding or the latest high-rise development project. It’s not surprising that many of these photos end up on the social media accounts of the mayor and councillors, as well as in their newsletters.
Third, they are intended to demonstrate to the taxpayers where their tax dollars are being spent. Fix a sidewalk, repair a road or plow a street and it is considered pretty mundane. However, provide money so residents can host a celebration on their street complete with clowns and bouncy castles, and people won’t soon forget.
Some Fundamental Flaws
In an ideal world, governments would focus on their core mandates. However, in an increasing effort to demonstrate responsiveness to public sentiment, politicians at all levels of government now seem compelled to operate outside their boundaries. That partly explains why we see the Ford government taking measures to curtail bike lanes, passing legislation like the Strong Mayor Powers, and trying to override municipal authority through measures such as Bill 17, the Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025.
Municipal governments are no different. How else can one explain the City of Burlington’s passage of the Better Homes Burlington Pilot Program in September 2023, intended to help homeowners purchase and install an air source heat pump. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for energy conservation measures, and I installed one in my house in 2023, without any help from the city, and absolutely love it. But energy conservation isn’t a core responsibility of the city’s mandate, just as national defence or managing the airlines or railways aren’t. Moreover, there are federal and provincial programs dealing with energy conservation and rebates. Why does the city feel the need to duplicate existing measures?
Similarly, why is the city meddling in global affairs? Why bother participating in a trade delegation to Washington, D.C.? Did the mayor and other officials really think they would deter the Trump government from imposing crippling tariffs? Aren’t trade missions and global affairs a federal responsibility?
Coming Full Circle
Our community and our country face challenging times. The likelihood of tariffs imposed by the U.S. government will have a debilitating impact on the Canadian economy. The recent closure of a steel mill at ArcelorMittal’s plant in Hamilton is a troubling omen of things to come.
So, when the city signals that they are planning to increase Burlington’s taxes again by 5.8%, or to put it in context, more than twice the inflation rate, one has to wonder why.
My taxes have increased astronomically since 2022. The greatest portion of that has been the City of Burlington’s component. I understand the need to pay for essential services or preventative measures. However, please don’t tell me that loans for heat pumps, money for neighbourhood parties, food vouchers to promote engagement, and travel to mundialization celebrations are essential. Pure and simple, this is fluff, and it needs to be cut!
Going forward, the mayor and this council need to commit to four things around this year’s budget:
1) Cutting frivolous, unnecessary and non-essential measures. Simply, you can’t ask citizens to absorb tax increases if you continue to spend money on feel-good measures with limited value.
2) Bring in a city tax increase that is less than the inflation rate. If I and other households in the city are expected to make do with less, then so should local government.
3) Initiate a 3-year moratorium on increases in staffing complements. Staffing levels have increased by over 15% since 2022, based on reports from one delegation at last year’s budget consultations.
4) An outright ban on any corporate travel outside Ontario for all elected and civic officials.
Finally, I expect something more from my mayor than what she stated last year when, during a budget consultation, she told me that we need to cut $4 million in expenses to realize a 1% reduction in municipal taxes. If she uses that line this year, I swear I’ll loan her my hedge clippers, my reciprocating saw, and my pruning shears, and invite her to get started.
[i] https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/01m25
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We voted the current crop in to run an efficient and effective government and to stop the destruction of downtown/lakeshore area.
They have done non of this.Time for change.
This group of officials must go FIRE THEM
You can’t fire them all. You need some of them to have learned from their mistakes.
A complete new council will be led around by the staff. Mayor My Way and Councillor Sharman need to be gone as they “trained” the new guys. I think three of the new guys need to be re-elected. I know which two i would not vote for, but everyone is entitled to their own choices.
I support the Mundialization initiative.
Ya but, how come it’s always the same three councillors that go on the junket?